Apparatus for forming a covering on an insulated electrical conductor



B. K. FoRD 2,263,726 APPARATUS FOR FORMING A COVERING 0N AN INSULATEDELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR Nov. 25, 19M.

sheets-sheet 1 Filed Oct. 11, 1958i Afro/mer Nov. 25, @4L B. K. FORD2,263,726 APPARATUS FOR FORMING A GOVERING ON AN. INSULATED ELECTRICALCONDUCTOR Filed oct. 11, 193s 2 sheets-sheet 2 I. K. F090.

A T ro'RNEr Patented Nov. 25, 1941 APPARATUS FOR FORMING A COVERING vNAN INSULATED ELECTRICAL CON- DUCTOR v i Ben K. Ford, Westfield, N. J.,assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a.corporation of New York Application October 11, 1938, Serial No. 234,370

11 Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus for y forming a covering on aninsulated electrical conductor, and more particularly toy an apparatusfor knitting an identifying covering on the conductor.

In various phases of the electrical art different methods are used todistinguish electrical conf ductors one from another. When a pluralityof conductors are closely associated such conductors are frequentlydistinguishable by either braiding or knitting different coloredcoverings of textile cotton thread thereon. Braiding apparatus foraccomplishing this result are Well known. A knitting machine for formingsuch covering is'shown in my copending application Serial No. 104,774filed October 9, 1936, now Patvention comprises an apparatus for forminga knitted covering on an electrical conductor withy certain of thethread courses differing in color and extending in zigzag pathslongitudinally of the conductor. The apparatus comprises a rotary needlecarrier, axially apertured for the advancement of the conductortherethrough, with needle actuating elements rotatable therewith andcontrolled by a cam, the cam being connected to a thread guide andconditioned to oscillate to cause the thread courses in the coveringbeing formed to lie in irregular paths longitudinally of the conductor.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdetailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, wherein Fig. 1` is a vertical sectional view takensubstantially along the line I-I of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is a. fragmentary right hand side elevational view of that shownin Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the covered conductor.

.Referring now to the drawings, numeral I0 designates a housing supportcentrally apertured surroundingthe aperture and extending downwardlyinto the support. An oscillating cam supporting element I3 is centrallyapertured and has an integral tubular portion I4 extending through thebearing I2, where it receives, at its lower end, a retaining ring I5secured to the tubular portion by suitable means such as a set screw I6.A ring gear is disposed concentric with the tubular portion I4 and keyedthereto, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The ring gear is positioned betweenintegral embossed portions on the cam supporting element I3 and thestationary housing I0, there being sufficient clearance between the ringgear and the embossed portion of the housing to allow free rotation ofthe ring gear.

A hollow shaft 22 is disposed for rotation in the tubular portion I4 andhas integral flange portions at its upper end, one of which rests uponthe upper surface ofthe element I3 while the other is threaded toreceive a nut 23 for securing a needle carrier 24 within the tubularshaft. The needle carrier has an integral interrupted annuy lar angereceivable in an annular recess in the the thread positions.

conventional latch type, with projections 3|v thereon to operativelyconnect each needle with its respective lever or actuating element 32.The levers 32 are pivotally supported at 33 by pivot supports 34 securedat spaced positions about a bracket 35 carried by the needle carrier toradially position the levers 32 about the axis of the needle carrier andin general alignment with their respective needles. A slotted guide 31,also carried by the bracket 35, serves to hold the levers againstlateral movement when the levers are rotated relative to their actuatingcams40 and 4I. The cams 40 'and 4I are mounted upon the supportingelement I3 and have lever engaging surfaces of contours provided to movethe levers 32 to move each needle to a high position at the threadposition hereinafter described, and to lower the needles to formstitches intermediate The cams 40 and 4I are shown in detail in my'aforementioned pending application.

Threads 45, 46, 41 and 48 are fed from spools (not shown) througheyelets 49, between friction at Il, and having an integral tubularbearing I2 55 discs 50 carried by pins 5I, around the pins where theyare directed to their respective guides 52 and through the aperturestherein. The eyelets 49 and the pins 5I are suitably mounted upon thebracket 55, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the bracket being supportedby an upright 56 and adjustably secured thereto by a set screw 58. Theupright 56 and a similar upright 51 are mounted upon the support I andhave mounted The sleeve 63 has an annular flange portion 18 integraltherewith and apertured to adjustably receive the thread guides 52. Asmaller tubular portion 1I, integral with the flange 18, extendsdownwardly therebeneath and has a smaller portion tapered inwardly insubstantially conical form to the lower end thereof which is positionedadjacent theupper end of the needle carrier 24.

The flange and the tubular portion 1I are also apertured for the freepassage of the conductor therethrough. y

Means for rotating the needle carrier 24 consists of a bevelled gearfixed to the hollow shaft 22 at the lower end thereof, as shown in Fig.1, and operatively connected to a power shaft 16 through a bevelled gear11. The power shaft 16 is operatively connected to any suitable powermeans (not shown), and is rotated at a desired rate of speed to causecounterclockwise rotation of the shaft y22 and needle carrier 24,looking from the top of the apparatus shown in Figs. l and 2.

'I'he means for imparting oscillatory movement to the cams 40 and 4Ithrough their supporting element I3 and a like oscillatory movement tothread guides 52 consists, in the present embodiment, of a belt Wheel 80xedly mounted upon the bevelled gear 15 to rotate therewith and causerotation of a vertical shaft 8l through a connection of a belt 82 and abelt wheel 83, the latter being mounted upon the shaft 8I. The shaft 8lis journalled in bearings in the support I D and is caused to actuate aneccentric 84, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2! and 3. The eccentric 84 isadjustably connected to a bell-crank lever 81, pivoted at 88, andoperatively connected to a gear segment 89 through a link 98, the gearsegment being pivoted at 9|. engages the ring gear to cause intermittentrotation in reverse directions during the actuation of the eccentric 84.

Considering now the operation of the apparatus, let it be assumed, forthe purpose of illustration, that the needle carrier 24 is being rotatedthrough its driving means and that the oscillating means is at rest ordisconnected from the driving means by the removal of the belt 82 fromthe belt wheels 80 and 83. Rotation of the needle carrier 24 will causemovement of the levers 32 relative to the cams 40 and 4I, resulting inactuation of the needles to successively engage the threads at each ofthe four thread positions. In the present illustration the threadsupplies 52 and the cams 40 and 4I are stationary, while the needlecarrier is rotated, causing each needle to form a loop at each threadposi- The gear 89 intertion in the process of forming a knitted coveringon the conductor 30 during the advancement of the conductor at a desiredrate of speed through=the machine. The covering thus formed on theconductor from the four threads shown in the present embodiment will becomposed of four interconnected thread courses extending longitudinallyof the conductor. To condition the coverings on different electricalconductors with various color combinations, threads of different colorsmay be used. For example, the alternate threads, if so desired, may bewhite and red, resulting in alternate thread courses of the coveringbeing white and red in color.

In order that the color combinations used in the coverings may be morereadily observed at a glance in identifying one conductor from anotherthe oscillating means is employed. During the rotation of the eccentric84 the bellcrank lever 81 is rocked about its pivot and in a similarmanner, through the connection of the link 90, the gear segment 89 isrocked, causing rotation of the element I3 and member 65 in onedirection for a predetermined distance and alternately in the oppositedirection for a'predetermined distance, moving therewith'the cams 40 and4I and thread guides 52. The oscillating motion of the cams 48 and' 4Iand thread guides 52 takes place during the continued rotation of theneedle carrier, varying the thread positions with the associatedportions of the cams, resulting in the forming of irregular or zigzagthread courses in the covering formed upon the conductor. This form ofcovering is illustrated in Fig. 4, the irregular courses being indicatedby reference numeral 95. With the zigzag courses it is possible toreadily observe the colors of more than one course at a glance and thusavoid confusing one conductor with another when both colors are notreadily observed.

'Ihe embodiment of the invention herein disclosed is illustrative onlyand may be widely modified and departed from in many Ways withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as pointed out inand limited only by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a knitting apparatus. needles, a rotary carrier therefor, means toguide threads to the needles at predetermined positions, means to causeactuation of the needles at the thread positions, and means to causeoscillation of the thread positions.

2. In an apparatus for forming a covering on a core, thread supplies,means to guide threads from the supplies to predetermined positions,knitting needles, a carrier to position the needles about a core toengage -the threads at the said thread positions, means to causeactuation of the needles to knit a covering of interconnected threadcourses with the threads on the core, and means to cyclically vary thesaidl thread positions to vary the directions of the thread courses.

3. In an apparatus for forming a covering on a core, thread supplies,means to guide threads from the supplies to predetermined positions,knitting needles, a carrier to position the needles about a core toengage the threads at the said thread positions, means to causeactuation of the needles to knit a covering of interconnected threadcourses with the threads on the core, and means to intermittently varythe said thread positions and the needle actuating means `to causeactuation of the needles vat the varying thread positions.

4. In an apparatus for forming a covering on a core, thread supplies,means to guide threads from the supplies to predetermined positions,knitting needles, a carrier to position the needles about a core toengage the threads at the said thread positions, means to caus'eactuation terconnected thread courses with the threads on the core, andmeans to cause simultaneous movement of the guide means and the elementsto cause cyclic variation in the directions of the thread courses on thecore.

6. In an apparatus for forming a covering on a core, knitting needles, acarrier therefor rotatable about a core to be covered, threads ofselected varying colors, means to guide -the threads to predeterminedpositions relative to the carrier, elements to cause actuation of theneedles to ment of the guide means and the elements to cause variationin the directions of the thread courses on the core.

8. In an apparatus for forming a covering on a core, knitting needles, acarrier therefor rotatable about a core to be covered, means to rotatethe carrier, threads, means to guide the threads to predeterminedpositions relative to the carrier, elements to -cause actuation of theneedles to knit a covering of interconnected thread courses with thethreads on the core, and means operatively connected to the saidrotating means to cause simultaneous oscillatory movement of the guidemeans and the elements to cause variation in the directions of thethread courses on the core.

9. In an apparatus for forming a covering on a core, thread supplies,means to direct threads from the thread supplies toI denite positionsabout a core, means to knit a covering of interconnected thread courseswith the threads at the said positions on the core, and means tooscillate the directing means to cause the thread courses to lle inzigzag paths longitudinally of the core.

l0. In an apparatus for forming a covering on a core, thread supplies ofselected varying colors, means to direct threads from the threadsupplies lto definite positions about a core, means to knit a coveringof interconnected thread courses of knit a covering of interconnectedthread courses with the threads on the core, and means to causesimultaneous movement of the guide means and the elements to causecyclic variation in the directions of the thread courses on the core.

7. Inan apparatus for forming a covering on a core, knitting needles, acarrier therefor rotatable about a core to be covered, threads, means toguide the threads to predetermined positions relative to the carrier,elements to cause actuation of the needles to knit a covering ofinterconnected thread courses with the threads on the core, and means tocause oscillatory movev-arying colors with the threads at the saidpositions on the core, and means to oscillate `the directing means tocause the thread courses to lie in zigzag paths longitudinally of thecore.

11. In an apparatus for forming a covering on a core, knitting needles,thread supplies of selected varying colorsa carrier to position theneedles about a core, means' to actuate thev needles to form a'coveringof interconnected thread courses with the threads of the thread supplieson the core, and means to cause oscillation of the thread supplies tocause the threadv courses to lie in zigzag paths longitudinally -of thecore.

` BEN K. FORD.

